International Data Information (IDC) today released its Global Personal Computing Devices Concern Report, which notes that global tablet shipments were 46 million units in the fourth quarter of 2021; this is the second recession since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. And due to slowing demand, tablet shipments in the fourth quarter of 2021 fell by 11.9% compared with the same period last year.
However, despite the decline in tablet shipments in the fourth quarter of last year, the total global tablet shipments for the whole of 2021 increased by 3.2% annually to 168.8 million units, the highest since 2016. Meanwhile, Chromebook shipments fell 63.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared to the same period last year, but shipments in 2021 grew by 13.5 percent compared to last year.
In response, Anuroopa Nataraj, senior research analyst at IDC's Action and Consumer Devices Concern Report, said that although 2021 is a bumper year for the tablet market, shipments have begun to decrease as the market's peak demand in many regions has passed. However, as distance learning, remote work, and media consumption remain a priority for users, shipments in the near future will be better than before the pandemic.
Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC's Action and Consumer Devices Concern Report, commented on the Chromebook market, noting that most of the initial demand for Chromebooks in major markets such as the United States and Europe has been met, which has led to a slowdown in overall shipments. However, demand for Chromebooks in emerging markets has continued to grow over the past year, and the supply of Chromebooks has also been unusually tight, as a shortage of parts has led vendors to prioritize higher-priced Windows devices, further dampening Chromebook shipments worldwide.
(Source: Flickr/JeanbaptisteMCC BY 2.0)